AIADMK functionary murdered in Salem; cadre and relatives suspect the hand of lottery, ganja sellers

A 62-year-old AIADMK functionary was murdered by a four-member gang on Wednesday night. The police on Thursday nabbed 10 persons, including Sathish, the husband of Salem Corporation’s 55th ward councillor, Dhanalakshmi, of the DMK, in connection with the crime. AIADMK workers and relatives of the deceased alleged that those selling banned lottery tickets and ganja were behind the murder

A 62-year-old AIADMK functionary was murdered by a four-member gang on Wednesday night. The police on Thursday nabbed 10 persons, including Sathish, the husband of Salem Corporation’s 55th ward councillor, Dhanalakshmi, of the DMK, in connection with the crime.

AIADMK workers and relatives of the deceased alleged that those selling banned lottery tickets and ganja were behind the murder. The police said that the victim, M. Shanmugam, 62, a resident of Kamarajar Nagar in Dadagapatti, was a realtor and had served as the AIADMK’s Kondalampatti zonal secretary for the past 22 years, besides two stints as the Kondalampatti zonal chairman in the Salem Corporation. Around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, while he was walking home from Dadagapatti, the bike-borne gang waylaid him on Mariamman Kovil Street and attacked him with sickles.

He sustained grievous injuries and died on the spot. On information, his family members and AIADMK workers gathered on the spot and refused to allow the police to shift the body to a hospital. After four hours of talks, the police sent the body to the Salem Government Hospital around 2 a.m. for a post-mortem.

On Thursday, former Ministers S. Semmalai and P. Vijayalakshmi Palanisamy, accompanied by AIADMK workers, gathered at the hospital. They refused to accept the body and demanded the arrest of all the accused.

Shanmugam’s wife, Parameswari, said that he had tried to prevent the sale of banned lottery tickets and ganja, angering those who were behind such activities. The gang also damaged the street lights and CCTV cameras in the locality, she added.

AIADMK workers said that it was a well-planned murder. The gang cut off the power supply and damaged the CCTV cameras. Shanmugam used to lodge complaints with the police about the sale of banned lottery tickets in the locality. This created enmity between him and a DMK functionary, whom the police should arrest, they said.

Demanding that Sathish be named the first accused, the AIADMK workers and Shanmugam’s relatives refused to receive the body till late in the evening. Later, the police agreed to their demands and named Sathish as the first accused. They also named councillor Dhanalakshmi in the case. Around 7.30 p.m., the AIADMK workers and Shanmugam’s family accepted the body.